So i have a 408 SBC in my Vega, and i bought a proform clockable mini starter for starting it

unfortunately on sunday i was trying to start the car, and the starter started grinding, pulling the starter off, it looks like the engagement length is too short, but the starter does not have shims to bring it closer to the flywheel, so my question is, where can i find one that will work, or how do i make this one work?

its a staggered mount, on an sfi flywheel, i just dont know how ill make this work. ill take some pictures of the block and starter tonight if it will help

Whenever you install a new starter it is important to check the gear mesh and adjust accordingly. It sounds like you have no shims on there and the gears are too tight causing the grinding. Generally you need to manually engage the starter with the flywheel and you should be able to insert a average size paper clip between the peak and valley of the two gears, this gives you the proper clearance (this pic kind of shows it on the sides of the gears, not at the peak and valley). You can purchase shims at any auto parts store and as you add shims the clearance will get greater between the gears. The clip should fit between the high point of one gear and the valley of the other. It's just like setting up a rearend, you can't just install the gears and hope they are meshing correctly, you need to check the clearance. As a last resort, if you can't measure it this way start adding a few shims until it just quiets down when cranked. You don't want to add more shims than necessary as you start to lose contact area between the gears.

seekerbeta wrote:So i have a 408 SBC in my Vega, and i bought a proform clockable mini starter for starting it

unfortunately on sunday i was trying to start the car, and the starter started grinding, pulling the starter off, it looks like the engagement length is too short, but the starter does not have shims to bring it closer to the flywheel, so my question is, where can i find one that will work, or how do i make this one work?

its a staggered mount, on an sfi flywheel, i just dont know how ill make this work. ill take some pictures of the block and starter tonight if it will help

seekerbeta wrote:So i have a 408 SBC in my Vega, and i bought a proform clockable mini starter for starting it

unfortunately on sunday i was trying to start the car, and the starter started grinding, pulling the starter off, it looks like the engagement length is too short, but the starter does not have shims to bring it closer to the flywheel, so my question is, where can i find one that will work, or how do i make this one work?

its a staggered mount, on an sfi flywheel, i just dont know how ill make this work. ill take some pictures of the block and starter tonight if it will help

Check to see if you bent the starter bolts,pretty common on those.

i did check that, and the clocking screws and the main bolts are all arrow straight (according to my straight edge ruler)

Some aftermarket "race" starters come with a 1/8" shim between the nose and the body; it's there to keep the drive from engaging too far. Normally it's removed and discarded if there is a rear motor plate. Are you sure there's not a spacer either in the starter or between the flywheel and crank flange?Also, you should also always use purpose built starter mounting bolts; they're knurled so as to fit tight in the holes. Regular parts bin bolts can let the starter move around or mount crooked.

Can you manually pull the gear out far enough with a screw driver to properly engage the gears? Assuming there is enough clearance between the gears to allow them not to bind the starter gear should come out further, if not you have a problem with the starter itself. Judging from that pic it doesn't look like the starter gear is coming out far enough. You should be able to pry the gear out to its' full extension (that's how you set the gap for the gear mesh).

i put a new starter in, one that is compatible with the SFI Flywheel, things sound ALOT better

im just questioning my wisdon in using a holley carb that is vacuum secondaries and Electric Choke, with only a front pump and metering plate. it was cheap and thats why i bought it, makes the vega start WAY better than my 950 demon.